Turkish foreign undersecretary meets US counterpart

Foreign Undersecretary Umit Yalcin met U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan in Washington on Friday as the NATO allies asserted their commitment to address common concerns in the spirit of partnership.

The both men reviewed the current state of Turkish-American relations and agreed to continue efforts in resolving major issues affecting bilateral ties, according to information received from the Turkish Foreign Ministry. 

The ministry said the issue of Manbij, Syria was addressed in the scope of previous meetings and reasserted a determination to jointly advance on the matter. 

The pair also discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Turkey and the U.S. in efforts to permanently eliminate the Daesh terror group and provide security and stability to Daesh-free regions in Syria. 

Additionally, Yalcin informed Sullivan on developments regarding Afrin, Syria, and Turkey's humanitarian aid efforts for establishing stability 

The closed-door meeting addressed consular and judicial issues between the Turkish and U.S. delegations. 

Ahead of the visit, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said results of working group meetings March 8-9 in Washington were also on the agenda.

Turkey and the U.S. have been trying to iron out a number of issues, principally concerning the terrorist YPG/PKK in Syria which the U.S. supports as a "reliable ally" in the fight against Daesh.

And both nations have established working groups to discuss a number of issues, including the stabilization of Manbij, Syria, and preventing direct clashes.

The removal of Rex Tillerson as U.S.’s top diplomat delayed a visit to Washington by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that was previously set for March 19.